In Bangladesh’s flood-prone areas, solar-powered “floating schools” ensure that children continue their education even when rising waters isolate roads and villages.
Among these students is 10-year-old Safikul Islam.
Every morning, he waits at the edge of his submerged village in Bhangura, western Bangladesh, for the solar-powered classroom that comes directly to his doorstep.
His home is located in Chalan Beel, a vast 26-square-kilometer wetland where seasonal floods often block roads and submerge entire villages.
For Islam and hundreds of other children, education is not halted by floods. This initiative, started in 2002 by architect Mohammed Rezwan with $500 from his scholarship, has evolved into a nationwide model operated by the non-profit Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS).
Now, more than 100 boats function as schools, libraries, and clinics. The project has educated over 22,000 students and this year received the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.
In Chalan Beel alone, about two dozen boats serve as classrooms, visiting riverside villages six days each week.
The school boats are constructed from local timber and come equipped with benches, blackboards, and bookshelves. Solar panels provide power for lighting and computers.
“Currently, we have 2,240 students enrolled in 26 boat schools,” said Madhusudan Karmaker, a senior manager at SSS. “Over 22,500 students have graduated so far, and during severe floods, these boats also serve as shelters for displaced families.”
Other NGOs have adopted similar models for their operations in the country’s wetland regions.
Classes are conducted in three shifts a day, each lasting about three hours. Teachers navigate narrow waterways to pick up students and teach Bengali, mathematics, and general knowledge.
“We never had the opportunity to study,” said parent Sufia Khatun, waiting on the riverbank for her son Islam to return. “But this boat allows my children to dream of a brighter future.”
Teacher Sakhina Khatun, who has been with SSS for over a decade, mentioned that similar floating school initiatives have since inspired projects in countries like Nigeria, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
“These schools never close — not even during floods,” she noted. “That’s what makes them special.”
Founder Rezwan, a World Fellow at Yale University, stated: “I lacked many things in my life, and these children also don’t have much. But providing them with access to education and healthcare, and seeing this model replicated worldwide, motivates me.”
